Chapter 176: A Midfielder Can't Just Drift with the Game — Total Domination in Attack and Defense, That's the Core Shield!
"Eh! Leon with a decisive sliding tackle! No foul! The referee didn't blow the whistle — that's a beautiful defensive cut-off! Götze was a step ahead and took the ball, but Real Madrid's backline still needs to stay sharp!"
"Leon's recovery speed is incredible! Götze—ah! Too slow with the move! Leon has snatched the ball back again! Real Madrid has a counterattack opportunity!"
In the commentary booth, He Wei and Duan Xuan were visibly excited as they looked toward the live broadcast feed.
Coach Zhang just exclaimed "Great play!" and said no more.
The three of them had their usual roles: two focused on the commentary while the third analyzed the game and stepped in with summaries as necessary.
Of course, it was also possible that Coach Zhang simply wanted to concentrate on watching the match at that moment.
But with He Wei, the maestro of commentary control, and the eloquent Duan Xuan present, even if Coach Zhang remained silent, the broadcast wouldn't lose its rhythm.
While fans across Huaguo were cheering for Leon's consecutive steals, Leon himself remained calm on the field.
He didn't have enough hair to tug at as a habit anymore, so he just rubbed his buzz cut and strolled slowly to the arc of the center circle in his own half.
He hadn't really participated in the counterattacks in this match, but he still instinctively observed the performance of his teammates on the frontline.
Including how Modrić was distributing the ball during transitions.
It had to be said, compared to the first half of the season, Modrić was now playing with far more freedom.
Mourinho had trusted him with the task of driving forward the attack in the Champions League semi-final, and so far, Modrić had lived up to that responsibility quite well.
His distribution on the break was on point. No one needed convincing about Modrić's vision and passing technique — they were already among the best in world football.
Cristiano Ronaldo, in this counterattack, once again attempted a cut-in shot, but under pressure from Piszczek, the accuracy was slightly off.
A bit frustrated after missing the chance, Ronaldo gave the back of his head a light pat and then gave Modrić a big thumbs-up.
Commentators from different countries were all expressing regret at the missed opportunity.
But Leon simply pressed his lips together and shook his head.
He didn't rush over to talk to Modrić right away. Real Madrid held Dortmund at bay for another three minutes on defense.
Only after Di María and Modrić managed to trap Götze and kick the ball out of bounds did Leon walk over to Modrić.
"Luka!"
Hearing Leon call out, Modrić turned his head.
"Luka, you need to be bolder."
"Bold... you mean with the passes?"
Seeing that Modrić quickly understood what he meant, Leon felt a bit more relaxed.
"Yes. Their two center backs are slow to turn. So don't just play to feet. No more safe, face-up passes. We're not going to break them down with brute force or crosses today. You need to lead Cris and the others to charge — full-on runs behind their backline!"
Leon finished speaking quickly. Seeing Dortmund was about to take the throw-in, he didn't waste another second and jogged back into position.
Modrić, with his high football IQ, grasped the idea instantly.
A glimmer of contemplation flashed in his eyes.
Subotić and Hummels were both big, strong, old-school center-backs. Real Madrid had certainly made a lot of noise trying to attack through the front, but there had been little real success.
Benzema grappling with the two of them in the box hadn't yielded much either.
So Leon was absolutely right.
Real Madrid had to keep pressing on the counter — at full throttle — targeting the space behind Dortmund's backline!
Most teams wouldn't have the capability, but Real Madrid's forward trident, in terms of pace, technique, and explosiveness, was elite in world football.
As long as they broke through once and scored, forcing Dortmund to push their line higher, the rest of the match would become much easier.
Modrić clearly took Leon's advice to heart.
He took a deep breath and began to study Dortmund's defensive positioning more carefully.
The Yellow Wall was still on the attack.
Klopp had already sensed the tactical shortcomings, but he didn't want his players to halt their momentum.
As always, Dortmund wasn't built for slow buildup play. If they wanted to get anything from the Bernabéu, they had to go all-in on the attack.
And they had to score early.
Because their two earlier group stage matches with Real Madrid had proven one thing very clearly:
Whatever you do, don't go toe-to-toe with Real Madrid in the second half.
That's suicide. Those beasts from Madrid had absurd stamina levels!
No one knew what kind of monster fitness coach this Pintus guy was, or how he trained these stars!
Klopp wanted Pintus bad. No matter how this season ended, he was determined to try and lure Pintus to Dortmund to oversee fitness training.
Bayern and Real Madrid had both smashed Dortmund with second-half surges — Klopp was out of answers.
Thankfully, it was still early in the match. Dortmund wasn't afraid of physical battles or endurance tests just yet.
Thinking of that, Klopp steadied himself and looked back toward the pitch.
Then, just a minute later, Modrić launched a counterattack with a cheeky outside-foot chip pass that almost made Klopp leap off his bench in shock!
It was a moment of pure magic!
The chip pass floated just over Subotić, fooling even Benzema, who thought it was going elsewhere.
It was so unexpected — and so perfect — that even though Benzema reached it, his shot went straight into Weidenfeller's arms!
My God! That shot had Mourinho, who was halfway to the touchline ready to celebrate, frozen in disbelief!
Weidenfeller looked like he wanted to give Benzema a warm hug for that "pass."
The emotional whiplash of hope and shock hit Klopp like a freight train. He wiped the sweat from his brow and stormed to the sideline, screaming at his defenders to wake up!
Backfield, Leon covered his face and took a sharp breath of the icy night air.
He had just praised Benzema for thriving in big games, but clearly, he'd spoken too soon.
Damn it — one-on-one with the keeper, Benzema has to bury that. Every. Single. Time.
While Benzema stood there stunned and Modrić covered his face in disbelief, Dortmund responded with a long clearance from Weidenfeller and a quick counterattack of their own!
"Not good! Track back!"
Leon's expression changed. His movement and shout came almost simultaneously.
His tracking was on point, but both fullbacks had been caught upfield, and Kuba and Reus blazed past the flanks!
With no cover on the wings, Leon and Sergio Ramos coordinated instinctively — one stayed central, the other moved wide to pressure the ball carrier.
Reus, seeing Leon approach, immediately switched the play with a lateral pass.
Götze, just before Alonso could close him down, chipped a delicate ball into the box.
Leon saw that Pepe was already jockeying for position against Lewandowski — and exhaled slightly in relief.
"We've got this."
But before he could fully drop back to assist, he watched in shock as Lewandowski collected the ball and turned in one fluid motion.
Leon's eyes widened.
Pepe, usually rock-solid in Leon's mind, was half a beat slow and failed to close Lewandowski down.
Casillas was left flabbergasted. Pepe's defensive slip was as bad as Benzema's earlier miss!
Lewandowski smashed the ball into the top near corner. Casillas reacted quickly, but it still wasn't enough to stop it!
The moment the ball hit the net, the 10,000+ Dortmund fans in the Bernabéu exploded in a frenzy of joy, shaking off all earlier anxiety.
Even Klopp was stunned by the gift.
He didn't even celebrate at first, just stood up and stared at the referee.
When the goal was confirmed, he finally exhaled and let his assistant coach embrace him in a wild celebration.
He knew, and Mourinho knew too — Real Madrid had had the upper hand in the opening phase.
But this was football.
One mistake from Benzema. One mistake from Pepe.
That was all Dortmund needed to deliver a hammer blow to Real Madrid.
Yes — this was the price they paid for failing to seize their chance.
Pepe and Ramos Both Exploded with Errors — Lewandowski Scores Four Against Real Madrid
"Damn it! Seriously?! At such a critical moment, we just happen to run into Pepe's slump and Lewandowski going god mode?!"
Leon was initially worried, but after thinking it through, he didn't believe Pepe was actually in poor form.
Real Madrid had managed player rotation very well this season — Pepe had gotten plenty of rest. And in recent training sessions, his condition had been totally normal.
After calming himself, Leon raised his voice and shouted loudly to rally his teammates.
He started with some calming words, then transitioned to inspiring them, lifting the mood on the pitch. Once he'd done all that, he even made a point to go over and check in with Pepe.
"Damn it, I lost my footing on the turf just now — slipped a bit. Otherwise, there's no way I'd let that kid turn on me! I swear I'll stick to him like glue for the rest of the match!"
Hearing the curse words laced with determination, Leon said nothing more.
If Pepe had that kind of confidence, then Leon's first priority was to believe in him.
Especially on defense.
Trusting your teammates was a fundamental rule for any defender.
Because they were a unit. If one player was off-form, it was okay to admit it — the others would cover for you.
Leon had full faith in Pepe's professionalism on this front.
With morale boosted again, he turned his eyes toward the Dortmund attackers, who had just finished celebrating.
There was no time for Benzema and the other Real Madrid players — the ones who'd made mistakes or failed to track back — to wallow or reflect.
Once the game resumed, they could only try to make up for their errors through sheer effort and attitude.
Mourinho stepped to the touchline. Arms folded, he said nothing, his expression stern as he watched the state of play.
Leon didn't take matters into his own hands by charging forward to join the attack.
He kept doing what he was supposed to do.
Dortmund, now riding the momentum of their early goal, continued aggressively trying to win back possession and launch counters.
That was normal — but seeing this unfold at the Bernabéu, to Real Madrid's players, was pure humiliation!
They shed the unnecessary baggage from their minds, peeled off their polished facades.
Every single Real Madrid player on the pitch remembered what had brought them all the way to the Champions League crown last season.
Their rage erased any concern for appearances — they turned back into hungry beasts.
Beasts who would fight tooth and nail for honor and victory!
Strangle. Press. Crush!
Dortmund wanted to keep fighting for possession and launch counterattacks?
Perfect. Real Madrid didn't want possession anymore.
Real Madrid wanted space.
And the moment that familiar pressure returned, Dortmund's players felt like they'd been sent months back in time.
Back to when they played Real Madrid and found themselves helpless in every battle for possession.
Leon wasn't holding anything back now either.
His ferocious pressing in midfield shattered Dortmund's build-up.
That reckless intensity earned him two verbal warnings from the referee in just six minutes.
But Leon knew he couldn't stop.
Momentum was a mysterious thing — when it rolled in, even a weaker side could overwhelm a stronger one.
And when a strong team caught that wave, it could trigger explosive performances.
Leon knew he'd pay a price for his emotional outburst — maybe he'd get a yellow card before halftime.
But he had to do it — fire up his teammates, stoke their blood and fighting spirit, and use this surge to equalize before halftime.
Mourinho clenched his palms tightly on the sideline.
He didn't know if this high press from Real Madrid could keep breaking down Dortmund's counterattacks.
Worst case scenario, Real would go into the second half trailing 0-2.
But Mourinho still wanted to give it a shot.
He was never one to shy away from going all-in.
Klopp had rolled the dice before — why shouldn't he?
In big matches, decisive games, it came down to strength and guts!
And he believed in his Real Madrid players — the very ones who had fought through everything with him to win the treble last season — he believed they wouldn't let him down!
Real Madrid's entire midfield and frontline, along with both fullbacks, had now pushed past the halfway line into a full-on pressing formation.
Modrić, caught up in the electric energy, was loving every second of it — but his mind remained razor sharp.
His ball retention and sudden surges forward were still well thought out, and he was waiting — waiting for a chance to twist the rhythm and slice into Dortmund's defensive core.
As that thought crossed his mind, he glanced behind at Leon.
By chance, Leon was looking at him too.
They exchanged glances, shared a knowing smile, and looked away in perfect sync.
In the 34th minute of the first half, Götze slipped past Modrić's press and tried to launch a long pass to Lewandowski in Real's half.
But he hadn't noticed that Alonso — who had been deeper just moments ago — had already pushed up into Dortmund's half.
Assuming Leon wasn't on his side, Götze let his guard down and lost the ball miserably in a challenge with Ramos.
Leon didn't even raise his hand. The moment Götze lost the ball, he surged forward, and Ramos delivered the pass immediately.
Their seamless coordination caught Dortmund's backline completely off guard.
As Leon drove directly through the center, Sven Bender was the first to shout and track back.
Leon's forward run was a gamble — there were still plenty of Dortmund defenders ahead of him.
And hardly any Real Madrid teammates had followed up on his flank.
So when Kehl stepped up to challenge him, many in the Bernabéu assumed Leon would lose the ball.
But just as Kehl closed in, Leon unleashed a powerful low diagonal through-pass!
The ball zipped right through the narrow space between Hummels and Schmelzer!
Schmelzer, reacting immediately, went for a sliding tackle — but his outstretched toe was just a few centimeters short.
As commentators everywhere cried out in awe, Modrić — who had made a hidden overlapping run — arrived to receive the ball with ease.
He took a deep breath and didn't hesitate.
He swung in a powerful low cross!
A zipping ground-level diagonal!
Hummels wasn't quick enough to cut it off!
In the center, Subotić — distracted by his tussle with Benzema — could only watch the ball flash past his foot!
Weidenfeller dove for the back post.
But Cristiano Ronaldo, having bottled up all his frustration, gave him no chance to save it.
He opted for a dramatic sliding finish!
The ball rebounded straight into the far corner of the net — and Weidenfeller crashed into Ronaldo, both of them going down!
The entire Bernabéu erupted!
Seventy thousand Real Madrid fans were stomping, leaping, roaring in delirium!
With that earth-shaking roar behind him, Ronaldo broke free from Weidenfeller and sprang to his feet!
This time, he didn't run to the corner flag alone.
He roared and charged straight toward Leon, who was sprinting toward him too!
The two of them threw open their arms and hugged ferociously at the edge of Dortmund's penalty box!
Modrić jumped in. Then Benzema, who had helped drag the defense. Di María too, who'd pulled defenders wide.
That goal had fired up every single player on the pitch!
Klopp sat quietly, the fire momentarily dimmed from his sideline presence.
In contrast, Mourinho went completely wild in celebration.
The Madman charged toward the euphoric south stand of the Bernabéu, slid on his knees, and pumped his fists in an explosive roar!
This was pure Mourinho passion. Pure Real Madrid fire.
In the broadcast booth, the three commentators on CCTV5 couldn't contain themselves.
Leon didn't notch any personal stats — but once again, he changed the course of the match!
It was Leon who held strong through Dortmund's early assault.
It was Leon who triggered the shift with a sudden burst, breaking through midfield and delivering a stunning assist!
This time, Coach Zhang didn't stay silent. He burst into laughter and gave his expert commentary:
"A midfielder needs to know how to adjust to the flow of the game — but you can't just ride the momentum! To dominate attack and defense, to turn the tide — that is what a true core is!"
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